


Finding The After

by mysafestplace



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drabble, Multi, this is my first work on here be nice lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:21:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28612755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysafestplace/pseuds/mysafestplace
Summary: after her torture, hermione makes a choice
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter/Ron Weasley
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40





	Finding The After

it is in shell cottage that something changes. 

hermione was always the steadiest of them. though her emotional range was much more than that of a teaspoon (honestly more like several pots), she’d always been the most steadfast. she’d cry and scream but then, almost reverently, control her breathing and go quiet. because through the crying and screaming her mind still raced, coming up with the next plan to keep them alive. she’d led them through the deadliest threats (basilisks and tournaments and umbridge and and and) just as gracefully as she’d guided them through years of schoolwork. 

her instinct, since the age of eleven and fate had connected her to the most reckless boys it could find, had been survival. and she could do nothing but make sure that instinct was satiated. 

so, when bellatrix tortures her, it is the first time harry or ron have truly seen her weak. the first time that they have ever, truly, achingly, worried for her. even petrified and lying on a hospital bed she’d provided them with answers, so this feeling is foreign. because hermione granger always came out of the other side thriving and dragging them alongside her. 

and as fleur forces potion after potion into hermione’s mouth as ron and harry try to hold down her seizing body, there is the sudden realization that this time, perhaps she will not find her way to safety. that she has always fought for them before this, but now she will have to fight for herself. and this, more than the scar on her arm or the tears in their eyes, or her ragged breathing is what changes things.

…

when her body has finally calmed, and she has the wherewithal to have a coherent thought, she thinks of them. of wanting them both and never saying it. because of ron’s jealousy and harry’s abandonment issues and her need to be perfect. and she thinks of how, just hours ago, she had fought to survive. and how she should have been fighting to live all this time.

they’re laying on the floor on either side of her bed, harry to her left and ron to her right, neither pretending to be asleep. too afraid to even close their eyes.

“can i say something?” she broaches.

ron sits up immediately and grabs her hand. harry, after the longest of brief moments, does the same.

“whats wrong?” harry asks.

“do you want me to get fleur?” ron says.

“no. i’d like you both to sleep in the bed with me.”

the shock that spreads across their faces almost makes her laugh. but it is a quick flash as they both settle into apprehension. 

“the bed is too small-“

“you’ll be cramped-“

“what if i roll onto your arm-“

“you were just tortured, you need to be comfortable-“

“yes, i was.”

she is attempting for the firm ‘homework hermione’ tone that usually gets them to do what she asks, but her voice is so weak that the imitation is sorely lacking. harry’s fingers twitch against her own.

“yes i was just tortured. and before that ron left. before that dumbledore died. and harry had run off to go risk his life for the 100th time and death eaters came into the castle and ron was with lavender and harry wanted ginny and sirius died and we fought death eaters in the department of mysteries and ended up in the hospital wing and cedric died and i spent all year trying to make certain harry stayed alive and ron yelled at me about krum and neither of you asked me to the ball and we freed sirius and confronted a werewolf and ron was carrying peter pettigrew in his pocket and a basilisk was in hogwarts and we, all three of us, at eleven years old found each other and started fighting a war before we even knew what war was. and now we know what war is. and i want you both to sleep in the bed with me. because the before and before and before has been so horrible and if we’re going to see the after, we have to start figuring out what this is. we all have to have an after to keep going for.”

vulnerability has never been her forte so she takes a shaky breath and closes her eyes.

“and if you sleep in the bed with me we can find the after. so please.”

they are in bed with her when she opens her eyes.

….

harry: you dont think it would be strange?

ron: of course it would be. you’ve got a lightning bolt on your forehead and hermione is. well. hermione. we’re all already strange. might as well go full send, right mate?

hermione: i think what he means is that we’ve always had each other, even though our lives have never really been normal. so it doesn’t really matter too much what’s strange and what's not.

ron: yeah, that's what i said.

….

when bill looks in on them in the morning, he compiles a list of everything he has ever done wrong in his life. but, none of that is grave enough so he starts compiling a list of everything the twins have done wrong. when the list is sufficiently long, he prepares what he will say to mum to soften the blow of her youngest son living in sin with his two best friends.

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first work here, so i hope it's okay! or maybe even good! i love the harry/ron/hermione ship a lot so hopefully i did them justice. feel free to leave comments/constructive crticism :)


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